Most Read Articles

Avoiding Anaphylaxis

Do You Know How to Prevent a Severe Allergic Reaction?

Anaphylaxis is a rare, but potentially
fatal allergic reaction,
that requires immediate attention
and treatment. If you have a history
of allergies or asthma and have had a
severe reaction, you are at greater risk
for anaphylaxis. Educating yourself
about anaphylaxis is one of the most
important steps you can take to manage
your condition.

Know your trigger. If you’ve had
anaphylaxis, it’s very important to
know what triggered the reaction. Your
doctor can review your medical history
and, if necessary, conduct diagnostic
tests. The most common triggers are

⇒ Latex, which is found in disposable
gloves, intravenous tubes, syringes,
adhesive tapes, and catheters. Healthcare
workers, children with spina bifida
or genitourinary abnormalities, and
people who work with natural latex
are at higher risk for latex-induced
anaphylaxis.

⇒ Insect stings, with bees, wasps, hornets,
yellow jackets, and fire ants being
the most likely to trigger anaphylaxis.

If you’ve had anaphylaxis, it’s very important to know
what triggered the reaction.

Avoid your trigger. Avoidance is
the most effective way to prevent anaphylaxis.
Your doctor can work with
you to develop specific avoidance
measures tailored to your age, activities,
occupation, hobbies, home environment,
and access to medical care. Here are
some general avoidance techniques for
common triggers:

⇒ Food allergies Be a label detective
and make sure you review all food ingredient
labels carefully to uncover
potential allergens. When eating out,
ask the restaurant how food is prepared
and what ingredients are used. If you
have a child with a history of anaphylaxis,
it’s imperative to make sure that
school personnel are informed of the
child’s condition and a treatment plan
is provided, including the administration
of epinephrine.

⇒ Latex Before having any medical,
surgical, or dental procedure, it’s important
to inform your doctor about
your condition and make sure that the
procedure is performed in a latex-safe
environment. If possible, request that
you be the first procedure for the day to
further limit possible exposure. Healthcare
workers who have a latex allergy
should wear non-latex, powder-free
gloves and have colleagues do the same.

⇒ Medications Make sure all of your
doctors are aware of any reactions
you’ve had to medications so that they
can prescribe safe alternatives and alert
you to other medications you may need
to avoid. If there are no alternative medications,
you may be a candidate for
desensitization>, a treatment that introduces
a small dose of the medication
you are allergic to. As your body
becomes more tolerant to the medication,
the dosage can be increased over
time. While the treatment is effective,
it’s only temporary and must be repeated
if the medication is needed again in
the future.

⇒ Insect stings To help prevent insect
stings, avoid walking barefoot in grass;
drinking from open soft drink cans; and
wearing bright-colored clothing with
flowery patterns and sweet smelling
perfumes, hairsprays, and lotion during
active insect season in late summer and
early fall. Your doctor can also provide
a preventative treatment called venom
immunotherapy (or venom allergy shots)
for insect sting allergy. The treatment
works by introducing gradually increasing
doses of purified insect venom, and
has been shown to be around 90 percent
effective in preventing future allergic
reactions to insect stings.

Be prepared. Prompt recognition
of the signs and symptoms of anaphylaxis
is critical. If you unexpectedly
come into contact with your trigger,
you should immediately follow the
emergency plan outlined by your doctor,
including the self-administration
of epinephrine. If there is any doubt
about the reaction, it is generally better
to administer the epinephrine.

Seek treatment. If a severe reaction
does occur and epinephrine is
administered, you should be transported
to the nearest emergency facility by
ambulance for additional monitoring.

Tell family and friends. Family
and friends should be aware of your
condition and your triggers, and should
know how to recognize anaphylactic
symptoms. If you carry epinephrine,
alert them to where you keep it and
how to use it.